Uncoupling mechanism



June 3, 1930.

w. KELSO UNCOUPLING MECHANISM Filed' May 28, 1927 oomuwo o ooo@oo o o oo ofip o mw o o Patented June 3, 1930.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM KELSO, 0F ZPIITSBURG'H,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCONWAY &;

TORLEY COMPANY, OF IITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN-SYLVANIA UNCOUPLING MECHANISM Application filed may as,

This invention relates to uncoupling mechanism for eifecting theunlocking of a car coupler. While it is especially suitable forapplication to the well known standard D- type coupler employing abottom operated lock, mechanism embodying the invention may be used withother forms of car couplers,

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and effectiveuncoupling device in which the assembled parts are interlockinglyconnected so that they may not become accidentally disassociated when 1nservice.

The principal feature of the invention consists in employing avertically rotatable lever operatively connected to the lock andsupported at its rear end by a hanger adapted to move longitudinally ofthe car, the lever be-' ing actuated by rotatable uncoupling means whichare maintained in'assembled relation to the lever by the hanger.

A further feature consists in providing a design wherein the uncouplingmeans for actuating the lock operating lever engage the latter closelyadj acentto the movable hanger by which the rear end of said lever issup-.

ported, thereby minimizing the extent of movement of the uncouplingmeans with respect to their supports at the sides of the car when thecoupler swings laterally as the'car passes around a curve.

Other features of the invention, involving particular combinations ofparts and advantageous features of construction, will hereinafter appearand be pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawings illustrating apreferred and showing also associatedfeatures offcar construction; 7 a j V v V Figure 2 is a v1ew, partly 1nsldeelevation and partly in vertical section, of the coupler anduncoupling mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a detail sectionalview on the line;3-=3, Fig. 2, 1 r 7 1927. Serial N0. 194,953.

"drawings is movably connected at its lower end to a downwardlyextending link 4 which is pivotally connected to a swinging member 5itself pivotally attached to the under sideof the coupler head. The link4 and the member 5 preferably conform in structure and mode of operationto the standard parts employed in bottom lock lift devices of the D-typecoupler.

Movably connected to the pivoted member 5 so as to be capable ofactuating the latter to effect an unlocking movement of the lock 2,

is a vertically rotatable bar or lever 6 which is supported at its rearend by a movablehanger 7 adapted to swing freely longitudinally of thecar. The connection between the lever 6 and'pivoted member 5 is pref- 76 is flexibly attached to thehanger 7 by extending throughan eye 10 inthe lower end of thelatter the rear end of said bar being bentdownwardly or shouldered, as at 11, so as to interlock with the adjacentpart of the hanger and thus prevent disassociation of these when tliedevice is in service.

parts I The vertically rotatable lever 6 may ad-j vantageously be ofbent or angular form, a 7

preferably being fashioned intermediate of its ends and closely adjacentto the lower end of the hanger 7 with a portion12 extend ing at anangleto the line connecting the center of the eye 8 with the center ofthe through eyes 13 at the inner'ends of the rotatable uncoupling levers14 which are sup'ported at'theirouter ends in awellknown maneye 10 atthe lower end of the movable hanger 7 .The portion '12 of the member 6extends 7 her by brackets carried by the car body. By thus relating theinner ends of the uncoupling levers 14: they always occupy a position inthe plane of operation of the vertically rotatable member 6, thusproviding for an easy and effective unlocking operation in any positionthe coupler may occupy. As their inner ends 13 are located close to thehanger 7 only a very small movement of the uncoupling levers 14 withrespect to their outside supporting brackets occurs when the couplershifts laterally to the side of the carrier 1 as the car passes around acurve. When the parts are in assembled relation the hanger 7 preventsthe uncoupling levers 14; from being disconnected from the lockactuating member 6 by which they are supported.

The hanger 7 is flexibly connected to a hanger support 15 which mayconveniently be riveted to the under face of the carrier iron 1, themember 15 preferably being in the form of a hook adapted to cooperatewith a single eye 16 at the upper end 'of the hanger 7 In assembling themechanism the hanger 7 is placed upon its supporting hook 15, the lockoperating bar 6 is then passed through the eyes 13 at the inner ends ofthe uncoupling levers 1 1 and the rear end of the bar is then insertedin the eye 10 at the lower end of the hanger. The rotatable lift lever 5is then disconnected from the coupler at its pointof attachment theretobelow the coupler knuckle pin, thusspermitting the memher 5' to betwisted sufficiently to permit its eye to be brought into assembledrelation with the hook or slotted eye 8 at the forward end of thevertically rotatable bar 6. The

forward end of the swinging lock lift member 5 is then reattached to thecoupler head. Asl thus assembled the several parts of the mechanism areinterlockingly connected so as to prevent accidental disassociation.

By operating either of the uncoupling levers 14,which extend in oppositedirections toward the sides of the car, the bar 6 may be caused to swingverticallysso as to effect an unlocking movement of the coupler lock 2.Either of the uncoupling members 14 can be employed for this purposewithout causing any substantial rotation of the other, therebycontributing to the ease of operation of the device. WVhen the member 6swings upwardlyin response to proper movement of one of the uncouplinglevers 14 its rear end fulcrums upon the lower end of the hanger 7,which latter is free to swing toward the front or rear as required indraft or buffing and during an uncoupling operation.

I claim 1. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a carcoupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlockedposition, said means involving a lever operatively connected to thelock, a movable member carried by the car body for supporting the lever,said member constituting a fulcrum for the lever, and rotatableuncoupling means for actuating said lever, said uncoupling means beingsupported by the lever and being maintained in assembled relationthereto by said movable member.

2. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a lever operatively connected to the lock, a movable membersupporting said lever and providing a fulcrum for the latter, androtatable uncoupling means for actuating the lever, said uncouplingmeans embracing and being supported by. said lever in advance of thefulcrum point of the latter.

3. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a lever operatively connected to the lock, a movable membersupporting said lever and providing a fulcrum therefor, and rotatableuncoupling means for actuating the lever, said movable memberconstituting means for maintaining the un-- coupling means in assembledrelation to the lever. I I

4.. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a lever operatively connected to the look, a movable hangerengaging and supporting the. rear end of the lever, means carried by thecar body for sup porting the hanger, and rotatable uncoupling means foractuating the lever, said uncoupling means engaging the lever in advanceof the hanger and being apertured to receive said lever, and said leverextending therethrough.

5. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving the lock to unlocking position, said meansinvolving a vertically rotatable lever formed as a bent bar operativelyconnected to the lock, a movable hanger for supporting the lever at itsrear end, a support carried by the car body for sustaining said hanger,and rotatable uncoupling means for actuating the lever, said hangerconstituting a fulcrum for the lever, and said rotatable uncouplingmeans being apertured to receive the lever, and said lever extendingtherethrough. I

6. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler itslock and carrier iron, of means for moving the lock to unlockedposition, said means involving a vertically rotatable member operativelyconnected to the lock and extending rearwardly therefrom, a'hanger forsupporting the rear end of said rotatable member, means for supporting.the hanger from the carrier iron, said hanger being movablelongitudinally of the car and being provided with an eye for re-'ceiving said rotatable member, and an uncoupling lever for actuatingsaid rotatable member, said hanger forming a fulcrum for said rotatablemember and serving to maintain the uncoupling lever in assembledrelation thereto.

7 In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination With a car coupler and itslock, of means for moving the lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a vertically rotatable member operatively connected to thelook, a movable hanger for supporting the rear end of said rotatablemember, and a plurality of uncoupling levers adapted to actuate therotatable member, said levers having their inner ends disposed inoverlapping relation and being supported by said rotatable member.

8. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination With a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving the lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a rotatable bar of angular form operatively connected to thelock, a movable hanger carried by the car for supporting the bar, and anuncoupling lever for actuating the bar, said uncoupling lever engagingsaid bar in advance of the hanger and being supported by said bar andmaintamed in assembled relation thereto by means of said hanger.

9. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving the lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a vertically rotatable bar, operatively connected to the lock,a hanger for supporting the bar, said hanger being movablelongitudinally of the car and having an eye at its lower end forreceiving the bar, the rear end of said bar being shouldered so as tooverlap said hanger When the partsare in assembled relation, and anuncoupling lever for actuating the bar, said uncoupling lever beingsupported by the bar and being maintained in assembled relation theretoby means of the hanger. Y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' WILLIAM KELSO.

